Overview

Emmi aimed to break through a crowded ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee market dominated by Starbucks and Costa. The brand wanted to shift perception from a convenience-store product to a lifestyle coffee brand and increase familiarity, particularly in London. With this objective, Emmi leveraged out-of-home (OOH) to create immersive brand experiences that positioned the product as part of everyday urban life.

Campaign Highlights

• High-frequency OOH activations transforming city landscapes into Emmi “coffee shops”
  
• Strategic placements in London, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Birmingham across Underground stations, shopping districts, and transport hubs
  
• Supportive campaign channels included geo-targeted social media, experiential roadshows, and a RadioX partnership
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‍The Challenge

The RTD coffee category is highly competitive, dominated by global leaders Starbucks and Costa. Emmi faced low brand familiarity and needed to shift from being perceived solely as a convenience-store product to a lifestyle brand that consumers actively choose in “treat myself” moments. The challenge was to achieve strong brand impact in key urban areas, particularly London, while cutting through category clutter.

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The Solution

Emmi transformed city landscapes into immersive brand experiences, effectively turning high-traffic locations into pop-up “coffee shops.” By dominating OOH touchpoints in London, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Birmingham, the campaign created constant visual presence. Complementary tactics included geo-targeted social content, experiential roadshows, and a partnership with RadioX to amplify reach and engagement.

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‍The Results

The campaign drove measurable impact across awareness, persuasion, and category positioning:

• Brand familiarity in London increased from 66% to 80%, moving Emmi from 5th to 3rd place in the market.
  
• “Treat myself” moments: Emmi outperformed Jimmy’s by 7–13 points.
  
• Campaign recognition: 54% in London.
  
• Persuasion rate: 84% in London.
  
• Delivered TV-equivalent impact at a fraction of the cost.